Railroad-crossing gate.



S. H. HARTWELL.

RAILROAD CROSSING GATE. uruouxou nun rnn..1.1eo0,'

Patented July 19, 1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SILAS H. HARTWELL, 0F NOVA, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING GATE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Sims H. HARTWELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nova, in the county of Summers, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new .and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossing Gates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railroads and has special reference to a gate designed to be positioned at crossing points to prevent cattle from straying on the track.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved construction of presser bar and link and spring support therefor whichwill prevent too great wear upon the springs.

Vvith this object in View the invention consists in general of a presser bar connected to the rail supports and extending in juxtaposition to one of the rails, the connection between the presser bar and rail supports being by means of normally inclined links and springs mounted on the rail supports parallel to said links.

The invention further consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and Figure 1 is a side elevation of a presser bar supported in this manner showing means for connecting the same to a gate designed to be swung across the track. Fig. 2 is an end view of a portion of a track showing the presser bar and gate.

The gate is indicated in general by the reference character A and the connecting mechanism by the reference character B.

At 10 are shown the ties of a railroad track which support the rails 11. Secured to the ties are certain brackets 12 whereto are connected links 13 which have their free ends connected to a presser bar 14. These Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1909.

Patented July 19, 1910.

Serial No. 475,467.

links are all normally inclined and all slant in the same direction as can be clearly seen by reference to Fig. 1. Mounted on the ties 10 are also certain springs 15 which are so arranged as to be parallel to the links 13. The free ends of these springs are held beneath the under side of the presser bar 14 and this presser bar is so positioned relative to one of the rails 11 that as a train passes along the track the presser bar will be depressed and the gate A actuated through the mechanism B.

Itis to be observed that by reason of the peculiar connection and arrangement of the links, spring, and presser bar, the depression of the latter will cause the springs and links to move down in parallel relation so that the free ends of the springs which bear beneath the presser bar will have little or no movement along the bar. By this means the wear due to the rubbing of the springs along the bar is obviated and the life of the springs extended.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

In a device of the kind described, a railroad track including rail supports and a pair of rails supported thereon, a presser bar extending in juxtaposition to one of the rails, brackets mounted on the rail supports and rigidly held beneath said presser bar, normally inclined links connecting said brackets and presser bar, and leaf springs fixed to said rail supports and bearing against the under side of the presser bar, said springs being parallel to the links whereby when the presser bar is depressed the free ends of the springs will have slight movement along said presser bar.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

SILAS H. HARTVVELL. Witnesses J. B. F. GRIMMETT, Gno. W. STENNET. 

